MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili: Prosecutor’s Office is obliged to interview Okitashvili, Rukhadze and Mdinaradze

“The Prosecutor’s Office is obliged to verify the claims, summon Okitashvili, and ask what evidence he possesses. If those arguments carry weight and questions arise, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia will question Rukhadze, Mdinaradze, and everyone involved,” parliamentary majority member MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili stated.

The question concerned a public post published by Davit Okitashvili, head of the Chamber of Culture, regarding former Culture Minister Tika Rukhadze and former State Security Service head Mamuka Mdinaradze, in which he stated: “I publicly appeal to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia and the State Audit Office to examine and make publicly available full information regarding expenses associated with the Patriarch’s funeral.”

Responding to the question, Sharmanashvili noted that legal procedures must be allowed to run their course on this matter.

“My questions in this instance would be entirely harmless. What matters now are the questions the Prosecutor’s Office will raise, as it is legally obligated to examine the matter following this statement, summon Okitashvili, and ask what evidence he possesses. If those arguments carry weight and questions remain, the Prosecutor’s Office will question Rukhadze about all of this. It will question Mdinaradze, Sharmanashvili, Petriashvili, everyone, provided there are grounds to do so, and that is precisely how it ought to act,” MP Sharmanashvili stated.